Now that the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary has been updated, words like brain cramp, man cave and sexting are fair game for academic papers.
Here are some highlights from the list, punctuated by two students using the words in a hypothetical conversation:
Aha moment n (1939): a moment of sudden realization, inspiration, insight, recognition, or comprehension
“I had this aha moment in class today. The girl who sits next to me took off her glasses and she was like, hot.”
“Sexy librarian?”
“Aw yeah. I’m going to ask her out.”
Brain cramp n (1982): an instance of temporary mental confusion resulting in an error or lapse of judgment
“Meet me at the French Fries at one?”
“No one says that.”
“Oh, sorry. Total brain cramp.”
Craft beer n (1986): a specialty beer produced in limited quantities: microbrew
“So is she in your next class?”
“Yeah, but I drank a lot of craft beer last night, so I'm too hung over to talk to her.”
Energy drink n (1904): a usually carbonated beverage that typically contains caffeine intended to increase the drinker’s energy
“Maybe this energy drink will help.”
F-bomb n (1988): the word f--k — used metaphorically as a euphemism
“How’d it go?”
“I started to ask for her name, but the energy drink and hangover combo turned on me. I dropped an f-bomb and ran to the bathroom.”
"Ouch."
Flexitarian n (1998): one whose normally meatless diet occasionally includes meat or fish
“So I finally asked her out. She said she’s a flexitarian, so I’ve got to take her somewhere versatile.”
Game changer n (1993): a newly introduced element or factor that changes an existing situation or activity in a significant way
“I’ve got a total game changer: CiCi’s. It has something for everyone.”
Man Cave n (1992): a room or space designed according to the taste of the man of the house to be used as his personal area for hobbies and leisure activities
“So I took that girl out. I brought her to CiCi’s then took her back to my man cave to chill, but she hasn’t talked to me since.”
“I don’t know where you went wrong.”
Obesogenic adj (1986): promoting excessive weight gain: producing obesity
“Oh, she just texted me. She called me obesogenic for taking her to CiCi’s.”
“Come on! It has salad.”
Sexting n (2007): the sending of sexually explicit messages or images by cellphone
“Bro, what happened last night?"
“You started sexting sexy librarian girl.”
“For real? Sweet.”
Tipping point n (1959): the critical point in a situation, process, or system beyond which a significant and often unstoppable effect or change takes place
“So I saw her by the French Fries.”
“Stop trying to make French Fries happen.”
“Whatever man. Anyway, it must have been the tipping point because she slapped me and made me drop my Chick-fil-A.”
“I guess she wasn’t feeling meat today.”
“Typical flexitarian.”
